ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · VA · GEOID 51442802024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Laurel, Virginia

Mean one-way trip24.0 min±3.9 min MOE
Worked from home15.7%±2.8 pp MOE
Drove alone69.9%±4.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip6.5%among commuters

U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates for residents age 16+ who work. Commute time excludes people working from home.

01 / THE SHIFT

What changed in the published estimate?

These periods overlap: 2021 covers 2017–2021 and 2024 covers 2020–2024. Changes are directional comparisons, not independent annual measurements.

Mean commute21.1 min → 24.0 min▲ 2.9 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home8.9% → 15.7%▲ 6.8 pp

Share of workers age 16+ who usually worked from home.

Public transit0.3% → 1.2%▲ 0.9 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone80.6% → 69.9%▼ 10.7 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone69.9% ±4.8 pp
Carpool10.7% ±3.3 pp
Public transit1.2% ±1.0 pp
Walk0.2% ±0.3 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.2 pp
Work from home15.7% ±2.8 pp

Each share uses 10,061 estimated workers as its denominator. Categories shown here do not include every ACS mode.

03 / PEER CONTEXT

Compared with similar-size places

Percentiles are single-metric context, never a “good commute” score.

45thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 55% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

67thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 67% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

71thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 71% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

49th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 51% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate18,721± 1,377 MOE
Workers age 16+10,061± 853 MOE
Workers with travel time8,477± 861 MOE
Estimated home workers1,584± 309 MOE
Why the ± matters

ACS values are survey estimates. The margin of error is the 90% confidence interval published by the Census Bureau or calculated for a share from published component margins. Small differences can be sampling noise.